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cost

Cost is mostly determined by where you are so we have decided to use a very general pricing system. Exact costs in your area can be found on individual wine pages:
$ less than US$10
$$ between US$10-20
$$$ between US$20-50
$$$$ between US$50-100
$$$$$ over US$101

rating

Members of the-wine-guide can vote on the overall quality of a wine and a wine's rating is an average of the votes. You should view this as a rule of thumb. Like a movie review, you may love one film for certain qualities but someone else watching the exact same film may loth it for the same reasons. If a three star wine has a flavor profile that appeals to you, you should give it a shot. But you may want to give one star wines with many votes a miss.

flavor

Flavor profile of a wine. These are determined by votes, users of the-wine-guide chose what flavors they think are in the wine, the top 5 voted flavors will come out on top

origin

The place where a wine is grown. The place of origin is important because like coffee, a grape varietal will pick up distinct set of flavor characteristics based on the soil or climate of the region it is grown in. In Europe this is called terroir, and it is considered so important it is the foundation of their entire naming system.

varietal(s)

A varietal is the type of grape used to make the wine. Each varietal of grape has its own climate that it likes to grow in and a distinct flavor. The type of grape used to make a wine is largely responsible for how a wine will taste. So a bottle of Cabernet from California will have similar characteristics to a Cab from South Africa.

type

The type of wine. A wine can be red, white, rose, dessert (includes ports and other fortified wines, late harvest, ice wine, and anything else sweet), sparkling (includes Champagne), sparkling rose, sparkling red

body

The 'mouth-feel' of a wine. Can range from light, medium to full-bodied. A full bodied wine would be very rich, heavy and dense in character like a dark earl grey tea or a steak dinner. A light bodied wine would be refreshing like chrysanthemum tea or a salad.

Red Wine

(wine 101, red wine, intro)

by The Wine Guide

Red wines are made from grapes with very dark, purple/blueish skin. However the juice from these black grapes run clear, same as the grapes used in white wine. In fact, most white Champagne and sparkling wines use the juice of a black grape called Pinot Noir! So how do red wines become so inky red? From the skins! Unlike white wines, the skins of the pressed grapes are mixed in and left with the juice. This results in the color from the grape skins leeching out and mixing in with the juice. Depending on the length of time the skins are allowed to mix with the juice, a winemaker can create anything from a dark, deep purple to a bright ruby red for a medium soak, or even a pink rose for a short dip.

In addition to receiving color from the skins, red wine also absorbs something called "tannin". Tannins occur naturally in grape skins, stems, and seeds and they are responsible for the mouth-drying qualities of a red wine. It is the same sensation you get when drinking a very strong tea. Tannins are the most important difference between a red and white wine. Tannin is what gives a red it's structure, and also serves as a preservative, granting red wines extra longevity.

Style

Reds basically come in three different styles:

Light & Fruity
Think french Beaujolais Nouveau, cheaper Australian reds, and wines containing grape varietals such as Gamay, Cabernet Franc, or Grenache. These wines are simple, every day drinking wines, with very fruity, berry-like flavors, and low tannins.

Medium & Subtle
Mid to low in the fruit department, with average tannins and medium body. This style of wine is characterized by table wines from Italy, French Bordeaux and Pinot Noir. Some spicy wines from the Rhone and Malbecs from Argentina will fall into this category.

Powerful
These are very fruity, rich, deep wines. Full bodied and generally expensive, this style of red tends to hail from warmer climates such as California and Australia. Italian Barolo and Barbarescos are also built full on and good years in Bordeaux will yield powerful wines.

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  • total number of wines 5560
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